Decorative Room And Dressing Folding Screen

Here are some ideas on how to create beautiful folding screens to dress up your home.

Folding screens add a sense of warmth and drama to a room. Used to divide space or brighten up a dark and dull corner, screens offer a fresh perspective of style and grace to any home. Oriental designs were quite popular in the 19th century among art collectors. But many people today are re-discovering it's charm by adding a modern twist. Creating your own screens is a fun project that is easy and inexpensive, and you should be able to do this craft over the weekend. Be as elegant, folksy, or whimsical as you wish. Just roll up your sleeves, get busy, and above all, be creative and enjoy yourself.

What you will need to get started:

Two sets of bifold closet doors from a home and garden center

Six door hinges

Screws

Wood glue

Paint, varnish and wax

scissors

primer paint roller

First of all, choose what basic color you would like your screen to be. Paint, let dry, then paint the other side. After both sides are dry, paint the bottom and sides of the doors. Then taking a bunched up cloth (like cheesecloth) or a sea sponge, dip into the paint dabbing the surface to create a texturized "antique" look.

Next, there are several options to choose from. You can use stencils to create patterns onto the surface, or you could use rubber stamps. Simply roll into the paint and apply to the wood. If you choose to stencil, tape the stencil with a quick release tape and dab your stencil brush into the paint, then dab onto the surface. Highlight with complementary colors to give added interest. Practice first on scrap paper, until you get the design and colors just the way you want it.

Or, you may choose to wall paper your screen instead. Following the instructions that come with the roll, paste onto the wood using a border adhesive. Another thing you could do is photo--copy favorite photographs onto paper, then cut out each photo, leaving a border around the picture, and make a collage using decoupage paste. All you do in this case is cover the photo-copies with paste by paintbrush and let dry.

After everything is completely dry, attach the hinges with the screws at the top and bottom of each panel, connecting the one panel to the next. You may wish to leave the bottom of the screen straight, but you could dress it up by adding feet. You can find wooden furniture feet at your local hardware store or home and garden center. Paint in a color that matches the screen, then attach at the bottom with screws, after drilling a small hole into the wood.

Next you will want to take a piece of fine sandpaper and lightly sand the folding screen to smooth out all the edges and roughness. This will also bring out the woods natural sheen and patina, adding a sense of refinement to the surface. Then, take a damp cloth and wipe off all the dust.

And lastly, seal the surface by varnishing or waxing the screen. The final effect will be polished and ready to set up.